The
treasures of Crete
Suggested Tours in Crete
. . . the romance of the Greek isles. What's better than a journey with
a cherished companion to one of these prized destination?
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Crete
CRETE
One of the largest islands in the Mediterranean ,and for thousands of
years it has been a crossroads of three continents- Europe, Asia and
Africa.
The birthplace of the first glorious Greek civilization, the Minoan
one, as well as that Zeus, El Greco, the famous painter, and Kazantzakis,
well known for his Zorba the Greek, Crete is a spirited and enchanting
place with a wonderful climate. Ravishing scenery, picturesque harbors,
ancient Minoan palaces and Byzantine churches are but a few Crete's
pleasures. Add to that the friendliness of the Cretan people and one
has the setting for a memorable convention or incentive destination.
Crete demands to be explored by ca or by jeep and there are several
interesting excursions that may be organized. Heraklion, the capital
of the island with its world class Archaeological Museum and the Palace
of Knossos dating back to 1500 BC, the town of Rethymno with its Venetian
Fortress and the old Turkish quarter with mosques and minarets, the
town of Chania, a typical Venetian town with a small secluded harbor
with picturesque houses and cafes and last but not least, the port of
Aghios Nikolaos and the village of Elounda around the Bay of Mirabello
are all visiting points.
Trekking
through the Samaria Gorge, mountain biking on the Lassithi Plateau
with its countless windmills, watching a traditional Cretan wedding
ceremony or enjoying a glass of Raki whilst listening to the traditional
Cretan music played by the lyra during one of the Cretan nights and
shopping for handicrafts and local wines can be a part of interesting
incentives activities.
KNOSSOS - MUSEUM They say that if you try to leave without visiting
Knossos, you are turned away from the airport. Knossos is not simply
foundations but a three story Palace complex of rooms, halls and passengers,
dating from 2.500 B.C. And the center of Minoan civilization (when in
most parts of the world people were still living in caves). This is
the labyrinth were Theseus slew the Minotaur, and where history and
legend go hand in hand. After Knossos, we visit Heraklion's Archaeological
Museum where all the best finds of Knossos and other cities are housed.
Included in the tour is a sightseeing trip of Heraklion.
PHAESTOS-GORTYS-MATALA This trip takes South the mountains and
more of Crete's unique scenery and stopping first at Gortys, the Capital
during the Roman occupation. You can view the ancient forum and theater
and see the famous Doric law code, chiseled forever into stone and publicity
displayed in Dorian times. Also at Gortys is one of the best & most
beautiful of ancient churches on Crete -St.Titus dating from 5-6 AD
From here we move to Phaestos, the second major Minoan site, situated
overlooking the beautiful Messara plain. At Phaestos you can evidence
of the original complex destroyed by fire and earthquake, and also the
second, rebuilt complex. Since we believe that too much culture is not
the best way to spend a holiday the afternoon is spent on the beach
of Matala, overlooked by the famous Neolithic caves.
RETHYMNO - CHANIA (WEST CRETE) Our major excursion travels along
the north west coast with breathtaking scenery on both sides - spectacular
mountain ranges , and sleepy little fishing villages. First stop in
famous monastery of Arkadi. Then will stop in Rethymno, known as the
city of scholars. Here you can stroll through the narrow streets with
their venetian flavor, or maybe take coffee in a harbor side coffee
bar We move to Chania for lunch. Chania is the little Venice of Crete.
It possesses reputedly the largest market in the Balkans, and a street
almost dedicated to leather goods, where you can see items such as boots,
shoes, handbags etc Handmade. After lunch, by the beautiful venetian
harbor of the town, where «Zorbas the Greek » was filmed, we go to nearby
Souda bay, where lies the British Commonwealth war cemetery.
CRETAN
EVENING A not to be missed opportunity for an evening out amidst
the flavor and atmosphere of Cretan Tavern. We travel into the mountains
to a village no more than hour away, and our evening is spent eating,
drinking and dancing in the local style. During the meal which will
be typical there is unlimited free wine, and you will be serenaded by
local musicians, afterwards there will be a demonstration of the energetic
Cretan dancing and you will be enthusiastically invited to join in.
GOURNIA
- KRITSA - AG. NIKOLAOS This trip takes you east through the mountains
and beautiful villages. First stop in the traditional village Gournia
and then we visit the Byzantine of Kera church and the village of Kritsa.
Next stop in Ag.Nikolaos, situated on the bottomless lake «Voulismeni»
and also famous for a TV series «The lotus eaters». You can stroll around
the picturesque harbor, sample some «meze» at a local tavern.
PLATEAU
OF LASSITHI You expect coach captain, will take you through the
impressive scenery of the road that climbs from the coast up to high
Lassithi. A narrow road, with tight bends, weaving its way between the
hills onwards and upwards, brings you to a vast plain as far as the
eye can see, with windmills is the Plateau of Lassithi. Here is where
the history and legend go hand in hand once again and therefore your
guide will tell you about and give you an chance to visit the Dicteon
cave where Zeus was born.
SPINALONGA
ISLAND This excursion journeys along the north east coast and first
visits the village of Elounda. If the name doesn't ring a bell, think
of "who pays the ferryman" - it was filmed here, a small but charming
fishing village. We take a boat trip from Elounda to the island of Spinalonga,
fortified by the Venetian, and used this century as a leper colony.
Free time for BBQ lunch and swimming at the island of Kolokytha. Having
returned to Elounda we travel down to Agios Nikolaos and en route you
have a wonderful view over the bay of Mirabello. Agios Nikolaos is possibly
the most chic spot in Crete.
SAMARIA
GORGE The trek through the Samaria gorge will probably be one of
the most exciting days of your holiday in Crete. It is 18 km of breathtaking
scenery in the longest gorge in Europe, with imposing sheer rock faces
and the pine filled atmosphere of another world. We begin our descent
early in the morning to avoid being in the gorge when the sun is at
it's hottest. As you reach the bottom you will be making the same exit
as the British soldiers and the Greek partisans made during their escape
in the last war. Waiting for you at the bottom will be the crystal-clear
waters in Libya Sea and the small village of Aghia Roumeli where after
a good rest, we will board the boat to Chora Sfakion for the return
to hotel.
Crete:
Heraklio
/ Hersonissos Area:
* Creta Maris
* Knossos Royal Village
* Royal Mare Village
* Atlantis Hotel (Town property)
* Aldemar Royal Mare
Heraklio
/Amoudara Area: Candia Maris Hotel
Lasithi Area: Hotel
Elounda Mare
4
- Star Properties:
Heraklio
Area:
* Sylva Maris Bungalows hotel ( 4 stars)
* Galaxy Iraklio Hotel ( Town property)
* Asotria Capsis Hotel ( Town Hotel)
* Marina Beach in Gouves area
*
Pantheon Palace in Gouves area
Lasithi
Area:
Miramar
in Aghios Nikolaos
Rethymno
Area:
Atlantis
Beach
Gouves
Area:
Pantheon
Palace
Compare
with the Triangle of Ancient Lands : Egypt Greece Palestine and Israel
Trip
Reviews: What other guests say about our services :
Adrian and Melina
--------
Original Message --------
From: "Adrian"
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 2:04 PM
To: omar@travelinstyle.com>, > Subject: We're Back!
We just wanted to let you know we made it back home after our weeklong
detour through Italy. Athens was fantastic. The tours were very good,
and short of heading out to the islands, I can't think of a single thing
we would have rather done while there.
Although we had an excellent time in Athens, Egypt was by far the highlight
of our entire trip, including Italy. We just can't say enough
about Ahmed, Isis, Ashraf, and all our drivers. We simply could not
have done the trip without their help. Ahmed was very professional,
courteous, and helpful, and always went out of his way to make sure
we were where we needed to be at the right time. Our Egyptologist guides,
Isis and Ashraf, were both very knowledgeable and made our visit so
much better with their endless supply of information. We wore out both
days long before they did. We will definitely try to come back to Egypt
when we have more time to spend.
Thank you so much for arranging the trip, allowing us to customize what
we needed to, and putting us in touch with such good people. And please
find attached pictures of us enjoying a camel ride. :-)
Adrian & Melina
Sample
: All Inclusive Candia
Maris Hotel & Resort in Crete
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